Liverpool made great strides in 2016/17, challenging at the top of the table at the start of the campaign and ultimately qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since in three years.

The Reds were on the march once again under Jurgen Klopp - but all that good work came under threat in a difficult January.

Liverpool , denied the option of Sadio Mane - probably the club’s best player at that time - by the Africa Cup of Nations, won just a single game in the first month of 2017, an FA Cup replay against lowly Plymouth Argyle.

Klopp’s men were then knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship outfit Wolves and in the Premier League drew with Sunderland, Manchester United and Chelsea.

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But the nadir came against rock bottom Swansea at Anfield on January 21. The struggling Swans came to Anfield and departed with three points. A gift that helped propel them to Premier League survival.

The Reds would go 2-0 down within minutes of the start of the second half, only to fight back through Roberto Firmino. It wasn't enough. Ultimately, Gylfi Sigurdsson condemned the Reds to defeat.

Now, one year and one day on from that dreadful afternoon at Anfield, Liverpool meet Swansea once again. On paper, little has changed. Swansea are rock bottom of the Premier League, while Liverpool actually sit a position worse off than they did last year, albeit on more points.

January has denied the Reds one of their star men. For Mane last season, see Philippe Coutinho this time out - and just like last year, a replacement seems unlikely.

Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool at the end of the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on January 14, 2018 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Last season’s defeat to the Swans left the Reds seven points off top spot. At the time of writing, Liverpool are 15 points behind leaders Manchester City, in spite of having defeated the Citizens last week in a pulsating encounter at Anfield.

And yet, fortunes have changed - and so has the mood around Liverpool.

Liverpool may be much further behind the leaders than they were at this stage last year - but they now feel much closer to being a contender for top prizes.

The Reds have made great strides since January of last year. Rather than meeting Swansea in desperate need of a morale boosting win, Liverpool have gone 18 games unbeaten - capped off by becoming the first side this season to defeat Man City in the Premier League.

Coutinho’s departure for Barcelona hasn’t been felt as keenly as Mane’s for Gabon. Indeed, Klopp has a collection of match winners to turn to - and that’s why he’s in no rush to splash the £142m banked from selling the Brazil midfielder.

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Fans will continue to demand that the club spend big in the wake of Coutinho’s sale, but it mustn’t be forgotten that the Reds shattered their transfer record - and a world record in the process - to right a wrong from the summer and sign Virgil van Dijk on January 1.

There’s plenty to be positive about right now, but Liverpool must ensure there’s no more wasted points against the likes of Swansea. No more gifts to struggling sides.

Fresh off the win against City, Klopp’s Reds are expected to swat the Swans aside. There’s absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t.

The Reds have proven that they can go toe-to-toe with the best the Premier League have to offer - now they must be ruthless against the strugglers, too.